How has streaming affected the film industry and our daily lives?

The question of how has streaming affected the film industry is especially relevant considering the massive closures and delayed production and releases throughout the pandemic. Streaming nowadays is becoming more and more popular, leaving industries like film and cable television to linger in the dust. With more people inclined to stay at home, business for streaming industries around the globe continue to remain at an all time high.

Whether it be the newest episodes of your favorite sitcom on Hulu, receiving live-coverage of the latest political debates or watching a livestreaming gamer on Twitch, streaming media seems to be maintaining consistent economic growth.

Whatever happened to people watching TV?

Since the outset of streaming platforms, many were getting attached to this idea of streaming content and how convenient it is to watch something at home or on your phone. Why watch a recorded Laker game when you can stream it live with the excitement of play-by-play commentating? Why would anyone go to the cinema, especially now that there are services that stream the latest releases – buttered microwave popcorn is only two dollars to make at home?

In recent years, services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney Plus and others have seen a dramatic increase in customers and overall sales. As a result of modern advanced technology (and with a little help from the pandemic), the traditional way of viewing movies is slowly becoming extinct.

Because many are now living the stay-at home lifestyle, viewers are taking advantage of all the convenient ways of watching whatever they fancy on a daily basis. The internet allows people to watch nearly anything from anywhere in the world: sports, news, gaming, cooking, religious services, sales programs, fitness, pornography – pretty much anything you can think of.

The most unconventional part of it all is the mobility that streaming allows viewers. That’s right, movies in the car no longer require built-in screens. With a smartphone or tablet, every passenger (except the driver, hopefully) can be viewing whatever they like at the same time.

The future of streaming

Even before the pandemic, the rise in popular platforms like Hulu and Netflix were growing at an increasing rate. Moviegoers everywhere figured out that paying a monthly service fee for an endless list of movies to watch often cheaper than even one visit to the local theater or renting content every week.

HBO Max

Aside from their extensive catalog of award-winning original content, HBO Max now allows cinema fans to watch the latest movies out in theaters on their platform. Not only do they stream the latest releases, but they also have a variety of older movies for anyone wanting a throwback. Now you have the leisure of staying home, making dinner and watching the newest premieres right in your own living room.

Twitch

Although movie platforms have tens of thousands of hours of recorded content, there is still a widespread audience for live streaming. That’s where Twitch comes in. What’s better than watching sports live? If you want to watch live music without leaving your house, you can stream it. You can even watch a live tournament of your favorite first person shooter video game.

This online streaming service not only offers all this content, but it also provides a platform for thousands of online streamers to have a paid stay-at-home job doing what they enjoy most. Whether talking to their chat audience about the latest game updates or doing a live yoga stream with their followers, Twitch allows so many people to make a living doing what they love – and at home. It isn’t for everyone, but if you don’t mind thousands of viewers watching while you teach a lesson on how to propagate a plant, you may want to give it a try.

Amazon Prime Video

If you’re someone that already uses Amazon Prime shopping services, Amazon Prime Video is now available for all Prime members. With movies from every category, Prime Video allows you to watch timeless classics, recent releases and exclusive Prime originals. Stream unlimited movies and TV series, and refine your ways of watching the same old three shows you would normally record everyday. If you think Amazon was already reaching its fullest potential, think again.

The world is now seeing a shift in the way streaming services have affected our daily lives. There’s no question that the pandemic is just one factor when considering the question of how has streaming affected the film industry. Whether you are on the bus to work or on a six-hour car ride to Las Vegas, as long as you have a portable device connected to the internet, you can watch almost anything you can think of. Cable and traditional ways of viewing content may be fading – but streaming media is taking over. Unless you’re looking for the nostalgic feeling you get from buying a fifteen dollar bucket of popcorn to watch the newest Marvel movie – there’s likely a way to watch without even leaving your home.

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